Last week was National Marriage Week. As a seat warming activity, have your students write answers to the following questions about marriage. The first set of questions is objective questions with the answers to be summarized from the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The second set of questions is personal reflections.

The discernment of a religious vocation for a young man or young woman is accompanied by prayer, questioning, and finally a decision. At some point the person tells his or her family of the choice to further prepare for the priesthood or religious life. In most cases, the person’s close family members have a sense of what he or she is leaning towards. Sometimes the decision catches some family members by surprise.

Several current Olympians on the 2016 United States of America team have publicly witnessed to their Catholic faith while in Rio de Janeiro. Three of the most prominent are gymnast Simon Boles, swimmer Katie Ledecky, and fencer Katharine Holmes.

In July 2016, former major league catcher Mike Piazza, was inducted to the baseball Hall of Fame at Cooperstown, New York. In his induction speech, Piazza thanked many people who inspired him along the way, including both his father and his mother.

Barbara Jane Sloan, currently a doctoral student in theology at Marquette University, and formerly a Catholic high school theology teacher AND former poster in the Engaging Faith blog was featured this week in the New York Times with her new husband Nathaniel Peters.

It’s not often that a Kentucky Derby champion trainer and his wife make it into an Ave Maria Press high school theology textbook. But that’s the case with Doug O’Neill, trainer of 2016 champion Nyquist (and 2012 Kentucky Derby winner, I’ll Have Another) and his wife Linette Galvan O’Neill.

As the days and weeks of 2015 near the end, you might consider joining with the city of South Bend, Indiana, the nearby home of Ave Maria Press, on the celebration of the city's 150 year anniversary. Similarly, 2015 is the 150 year anniversary of Ave Maria Press as well.

On Sunday, October 18, Pope Francis canonized Louis Martin and Marie-Azelie Guerin Martin, the parents of St. Thèrése of Lisieux. Here is information about St. Louis Martin and St. Marie-Azelie Guerin Martin, reprinted from Ten Christians by Bonface Hanley, OFM.

In two motu proprios, that is formal documents, signed by Pope Francis on Tuesday, September 08, 2015, the pope has expedited the process for Catholics to get annulments from their marriages in the Church.

Teaching about Marriage can be a challenge sometimes because you want to give the students an understanding of the Sacrament while not offending those whose loved ones are divorced, live together, or are remarried outside of the Church. How can you teach the students why it is important to prepare for strong marriages without seeming to condemn students’ families?

What is in a name? We all know that first names are meaningful and that parents choose them carefully. It is interesting to note how many parents choose biblical names or saints’ names whether they choose them for that reason or not.

The life of a parish priest is not an easy one. But it is rewarding, with most of the tangible benefits coming from their proximity to the Eucharist and other sacraments, the emphasis on personal prayer, and their special connection with the parishioners.

A tradition that goes back to 13th-century Europe, Red Masses are celebrated in order to ask for the blessing of the Holy Spirit on those who administer justice, especially lawyers, judges, and lawmakers.

The excellent website Vocation Match, a service that seeks to pair those discerning Catholic religious vocations with various religious communities and other opportunities recently completed a survey on current vocational trends.

Former Notre Dame Fighting Irish coach Lou Holtz speaks to Beliefnet about how his "dream job" at Notre Dame made him a better Catholic, the role of prayer in pre-game rituals, and the four things everyone needs in life.